Classic Poem

One in his palace: One at the bars
Of a dungeon, under the Alpine stars;
Doomed! and never hath dungeon's scope
Closed on a darker farewell to hope.
Years! and ever that icy gleam;
Years! and only the eagle's scream,
Cleaving the clouds in its sunward flight,
Hath cheered his soul at that awful height.

He hath bared his soul at a deadlier height
With icier bonds, but he weeps to-night.
Not for his hopes that have faded dim;
Nor the failing light, nor the fettered limb!
Other than anguish hath melted him,
That fell with a light from the starry dome
On a single line in an ancient tome,
" In the time of thy trouble, call thou on Me;
And, lo! My love shall deliver thee! "
And his soul is bowed like a bended knee,
And his tears are wept from a heart as full
As the night with stars, with the beautiful
Child-like trust in the Merciful.

One in his palace — the bride of night,
Beautiful sleep, hath fled his sight,
Sick and faint with the woe and weight
Of the golden thorns that crown the great —
Moans, as the stricken who moan for light
In the dark " mid-watch, " and at dawn, for night;
" All my realm for the sweet release
From a monarch's pain to a peasant's peace! "

A soft step stole through the silent gloom,
A sweet voice read from " an ancient tome " —
Sweeter sounds may not soothe the sense —
Of the pitying love and the innocence
Of Christ; and there came the sweep
Of angel's wings, and brought him sleep!

One in his palace, the dawn astir,
Saith to his sweet-voiced Comforter:
" All my realm by the east and west,
All my glory, hath never blest
My soul like this great crown-jewel Rest!
Tell me now of the heaviest woe
That dwells to-day with my deadliest foe
Of yesterday or of long ago;
For, as the Lord hath regarded me,
My soul would pardon mine enemy. "

And the soft voice answered: " The sorrow that's
Under the icy stars at Glatz! "
Aye! There are pinions of farther flight
Than the eagle's scream or the Alpine height
To answer the captive's call to-night!
Mercy! — waiting through all our years —
Waiting one signal, our Trust, our Tears!